Disclosure: As co-owner of The Recipe ReDux I was compensated to manage this recipe contest.

I heard a stat yesterday on some podcast (Note: Not MY podcast, but while I'm at it is it OK if I ask you to check out my new podcast -- This Unmillennial Life? I know you're just here for the recipes, but hey... a girl has to ask, you know?)

Anyway, the stat -- apparently a majority of consumers list "cutting out sugar" as their main priority when it comes to nutrition these days.

Listen, I get it. I'm no stranger to wanting to cut back on sugar.

But sugar is a fickle beast. It's both magical in what it does to the taste and texture of recipes, but in excess, can wreak havoc on your waistline and cause other unintended maladies.

Sugar, while certainly deserving of some of the nutrition concern heaped on it, probably doesn't deserve to be the single evil villain it's currently being blamed as. And perhaps more importantly, the NO SUGAR EVER approach that many fad diets promote isn't 1) realistic and 2) necessary.

The better approach is moderation.

There it is. That awful word that has no clear measurable meaning. What is moderation when it comes to sugar, really? Is it only a few teaspoons a day as the WHO suggests? Is it only 1 dessert a day, but then, what about that soda at lunch? Is it replacing everything with a sugar-free version?

Honestly, I don't know that I know the exact answer. But I do know this. I can make the case that a reduced sugar recipe is probably the closest thing you're gonna get to moderation. And that's why I'm sharing these Reduced Sugar Mini Cheesecakes today as a part of our ReDux contest with SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend.

Brand new to the market, SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend is a very simple blend of only 2 ingredients -- cane sugar and stevia (If you're not typically a "Splenda" user, this product doesn't contain sucralose, FYI).

Because the product is a combination of real cane sugar and stevia, it's reduced in calories, but doesn't have the same bitter after-taste of many sugar free substitutes. You can use it anywhere you'd normally use sugar. And because it contains "some" sugar, it makes for a much better tasting dessert and makes preserving the texture of baked goods even easier. You should be able to find it available nationwide OR you can visit the Splenda sight to find where it's available in your area.

And if you want to see what my fellow Recipe ReDux members are creating this week, be sure to click on over to the ReDux site in the link below. Enjoy! ~Regan

ad: Made w/ @splenda's new sugar/stevia blend these mini cheesecakes are the perfect sweet treat! #thereciperedux
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Low Sugar Mini Cheesecakes

Yield

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 whole graham crackers)

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Cheesecake filling:

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature

1/3 cup SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

Optional topping:

Wild blueberries, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. To make removing the cheesecakes easier, cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in an “X” in the muffin tin wells. This creates little tabs that make removing the cheesecakes from the pan easier.

Pulse graham crackers in a food processor to resemble crumbs. Mix crumbs with melted coconut oil, until well combined. Press about 1 heaping tablespoon of crust into each muffin tin. With the back of a spoon (or your fingers) press crust to become firm at the bottom of the muffin tin.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt for about 2 minutes on high speed, until fluffy.

Add SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend, vanilla extract and salt. Mix on medium speed until combined scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add eggs one at a time mixing on low until well combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, spoon mixture evenly into the cups over the crust.
(If using a topping): Add a dollop of wild blueberries on top of the cheesecake mixture. Use a toothpick to swirl into the cheesecake batter.

ReganJonesRD

Regan Jones is the Founding Editor and Sponsorship Director of HealthyAperture and is the author of the QUICK FIX KITCHEN Feature - a collection of recipes that focuses on shortcut cooking without shortcut taste. Her recipes largely focus on baked goods and desserts ranging from gluten free to sugar free to slightly indulgent eats for the entire family, but also include easy everyday recipes for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Jones is a registered dietitian and owner the web's most prominent portfolio of dietitian-owned websites, including HealthyAperture.com, TheRecipeReDux.com, BlogBrulee.com and RDs4Disclosure.org. She is also the host of the podcast, This Unmillennial Life, which was recently named New & Noteworthy on iTunes.